[Ben James]

I've never really had a really good pair of headphones but am in the market for a pair and have been constantly changing my mind on what to get. I'm sure I want an over ear design and noise cancelling would be nice although not necessary. The most important thing for me is sound, followed by comfort. There is a bit of a theme of Bluetooth headphones in my current options but it's not necessary although preferred. I listen to many varieties of music but mostly rock, metal, rap and EDM. Listening will be done at home and during commutes as well as when I'm studying and really at all times headphones would be needed. Currently I am looking at the B&O h7's as apparently with a wire they sound better than the h6's, B&O h9's although they are a bit pricey for me but if their amazing I can fork out, sony mdr1000x which apparently have better sound than h9's but idk. I was previously looking at v moda m100's but the others seemed to sound better according to reviews. I am open to all suggestions.

I am new to all this and really don't know too much about it so all advise is appreciated.

 

[cossix]

What is your budget? Some closed cans I like are Audio Technica M(30/40/50)X lineup, Sennheiser HD1 (comes in Bluetooth also), B&W P7/P9 (I forget the difference between those two), Meze 99 Classic, Takstar Pro80 or whatever version of those is new, Senn HD598cs (or any of the closed HD series below 598). Let us know how much you want to spend!

 

[Ben James]

What is your budget? Some closed cans I like are Audio Technica M(30/40/50)X lineup, Sennheiser HD1 (comes in Bluetooth also), B&W P7/P9 (I forget the difference between those two), Meze 99 Classic, Takstar Pro80 or whatever version of those is new, Senn HD598cs (or any of the closed HD series below 598). Let us know how much you want to spend!

No more than £300 preferably, I was looking into the audio technical m lineup but thought it was more for audio editing and that whereas I'm just listening. What do you think about the Sony mdr1000x?

 

[L8MDL]

I've been very pleased with my Meze 99 Neo phones for closed over-ear. Easy to drive, very comfortable (although not as comfy as my Senn 600's).

 

[Ben James]

I've been very pleased with my Meze 99 Neo phones for closed over-ear. Easy to drive, very comfortable (although not as comfy as my Senn 600's).

I'll mostly be using Spotify (highest quality) from my phone or iPad to listen, will the meze's require a portable dac or amp to sound good? Also what are the benefits of them and are they the best sounding in this price range? (sorry for all the questions I've never heard of these before)

 

[serman005]

I also like the MEZE but if you can afford them, I would try to go with the 99 Classics--just my opinion and YMMV, of course. I agree the P7 is a good option as well, as @cossix mentions. Lastly, you might check out the NAD HP50 and see what you think. It could work as well.

 

[L8MDL]

I think they will work fine without additional amplification. They're rated at 26ohms and using my Pono I seldom have the level above 1/2-5/8's (and I like to listen loud). Here's the main thread on them:

https://www.head-fi.org/f/threads/meze-99-neo-discussion-impressions-thread.840141/

 

[Ben James]

I also like the MEZE but if you can afford them, I would try to go with the 99 Classics--just my opinion and YMMV, of course. I agree the P7 is a good option as well, as @cossix mentions. Lastly, you might check out the NAD HP50 and see what you think. It could work as well.

Cheers for the advise so far, this might be a really dumb question but how do the Sony mdr1000x compare sound wise to these? Is it catastrophically worse or just a bit? I like the sound of the meze's and really like the sound of the p7's after seeing the reviews, although the only issue I find is that their on ear, is this a comfort issue?

 

[Luminance]

Cheers for the advise so far, this might be a really dumb question but how do the Sony mdr1000x compare sound wise to these? Is it catastrophically worse or just a bit? I like the sound of the meze's and really like the sound of the p7's after seeing the reviews, although the only issue I find is that their on ear, is this a comfort issue?

B&W P7 are over the ear. P5 are on ear. If you were to pick them, I'd suggest the P7 Wireless version. Works in wired mode even if battery runs out and people noticed it has slightly improved sound over the wired-only version.

As for what is better, all these headphones are different.

If you are looking for ANC wireless HPs, then Sony MDR-1000x would be the way to go
Wireless with no ANC, but slightly better sound than Sonys: P7 Wireless
Cheaper, wired option with ANC: ATH-MSR7NC (assuming your player has EQ function, as these headphones are a bit bright)
Wired option, no ANC: Meze 99 Classic, NAD HP50 or Beoplay H6

Out of all these HPs, Sony's probably doesn't sound as great, the rest is on pair in terms of sound quality.

 

[Ben James]

B&W P7 are over the ear. P5 are on ear. If you were to pick them, I'd suggest the P7 Wireless version. Works in wired mode even if battery runs out and people noticed it has slightly improved sound over the wired-only version.

As for what is better, all these headphones are different.

If you are looking for ANC wireless HPs, then Sony MDR-1000x would be the way to go
Wireless with no ANC, but slightly better sound than Sonys: P7 Wireless
Cheaper, wired option with ANC: ATH-MSR7NC (assuming your player has EQ function, as these headphones are a bit bright)
Wired option, no ANC: Meze 99 Classic, NAD HP50 or Beoplay H6

Out of all these HPs, Sony's probably doesn't sound as great, the rest is on pair in terms of sound quality.

Thank you for this as it was really helpful, after reading many reviews I'm starting to lean towards the p7s although my one issue is that I've read in a few different places the p7s don't sound great with rock (which is quite a lot of what I listen to) and the Sony's are more neutral so work with all music. Is this a big enough issue to sway me and is in your opinion how much worse is the SQ on the Sony's (maybe put both on a scale of 1-10 or 1-100) again thanks for the help so far

 

[serman005]

Cheers for the advise so far, this might be a really dumb question but how do the Sony mdr1000x compare sound wise to these? Is it catastrophically worse or just a bit? I like the sound of the meze's and really like the sound of the p7's after seeing the reviews, although the only issue I find is that their on ear, is this a comfort issue?

I have not heard the MDR1000x's, unfortunately. Sorry. Both the 99 Classics and the P7 are great sounding and are quite comfortable, IMO. YMMV, as always, but I think they would be okay for you.

 

[cossix]

As for the audio technica, the reason they're used for editing is because they're very balanced. If you like extra bass, they won't be the best choice. I don't want to say they're boring, but you probably won't be bobbing your head and rocking out with them. For general listening, many people prefer a bit of a V shaped sound signature, with a bit extra bass and a bit more highs. I personally like a V shape to my on the go headphones (HD1) but a more balanced and relaxed sound when I'm at home (HD650 and LCD2). I think the AT lineup is the least "fun" sounding out of the bunch but then again I've only heard the M30X which were very flat.